After outlining their individual expectations, the group returned to the Baron’s office to discuss the possibility of releasing Janos Tandovr in exchange for his help locating his sister’s clone. In his office with him was Alexia, who had obviously just finishing telling him of her adventures while she had been away. Her former companions quickly took note that Alexia seemed not merely more mature in some inestimable way, but physically older, as well.

Adira, stating that she intended to seek out Tenser‘s fate on her own, she made her farewells. In their discussions with the Baron, who was against releasing Tandovr, Alexia asked to be allowed to rejoin the group, as her god had recently granted her a “visit” to the future that would result from their failure, a time that was called the Age of Iron. She also revealed that as a result of that experience, she’d become a paladin of Murlynd. Stressing the press for time, they eventually brought the Baron around.

Janos’ first demand was for the oaths to be sworn before a priest of Pholtus, as he was certain that the party would be unwilling to swear before Hextor, and the clergy of Pholtus was widely known to be good and just (if, perhaps, a bit too just). While in Greyhawk securing the aide of a priest named Klanden Ferrer, Elerra took some time to visit Kiamyr at the shrine and to the surprise of many, she forswore her career as a sorcerer, and dedicated herself to Ellistrae, becoming a full priestess. On hearing that his serviced would no longer be needed, Baht-Ole elected to join up with Wilfred’s followers to help research ley lines and possible ritual sites.

Once rejoined in the dungeons under Narwell, the following oaths were sworn. The group agreed that Janos would be released 7 days after their departure (whether they returned from their mission or not). He would be freed with a horse and money equal to the value of his equipment (which the party had largely sold). His sentance would be considered to have been served, and he would be free once more to travel where he would (though remaining in the Domain of Greyhawk was probably not advised).

On his part, he revealed that his sister’s clone was kept in a special chamber located in the Wyrmcrawl Fissure, a feature in the western Riftcanyon. The approach to the chamber would require passing through the Fissure on foot, a region cloaked in twilight, and infested with thousands of undead known as the Sons of Kyuss. The chamber itself, he revealed, had four primary guardians. The first three, he revealed, would likely be found together, namely Nigel Foqar (once an ifrit sorcerer, now an undead animus), Greshak the Foe-Eater (a half-ogre bloodrager, now a swordwraith), and finally Norman Lareft (an elite Son of Kyuss). These three had been family retainers in life, and continued to serve in unlife. The fourth guardian he named as Sodokoor, one of the greater balrogs, whom had been bound by one of his father’s companions decades before.

For his part, he knew of no additional alarms on either the chamber or the clone that would alert his sister, but required that the group was allowed to harm ONLY his sister’s clone, and that they were forsworn not to loot the chambers of any other valuables. Furthermore, he indicated that there was a means of passage directly from the chamber to the keep, a polished obsidian mirror in a bronze frame that would take them directly there (short-cutting the Teleport Block that otherwise held sway in the region).

Squizzles filled the group in from his encyclopedic bardic knowledge concerning animuses, swordwraiths, Kyuss, and balrogs, and the group made it’s plans for the journey. The following morning they set out, arriving in the canyon and working their way into the Fissure proper, fighting through throngs of Sons who sought to bar their way. Hours later, their weapons dripping the gore of a thousand or more undead, they finally reached the door to the Tandovr Crypts (as the area was called).

Unlocking the door proved a minor challenge, as it was additionally held closed by a Bigby’s Forceful Hand. Wilfred and Mekkatorque were the first into the room and made their way to Nigel, who responded by trying to trap them both in a Forcecage. In the following round, he would seal Mekkatorque in an Ice Prison (briefly). He would then keep himself out of reach between the two obstacles he’d created as he peppered the group with spells.

Meroln would rush to meet Greshak in combat, but a pair of lucky crits buried in a hail of attacks would leave his broken body oozing on the floor. Elerra would resuscitate him, but it wouldn’t be until late in the combat when he would be able to return to the fray. As we ended the evening, the only Nigel and a pair of elite Sons remained to block the party’s progress toward Sodorkoor and Jaliseem’s clone.